1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to baby carriages and strollers. It relates to a safety-enhancing means for these devices, more particularly and as an important part of the invention, means to illuminate the path of the device. It also contemplates providing side and tail or rear lights on baby carriages and strollers and providing illumination on the baby itself, which may be termed interior illumination.
2. Background of the Invention and Prior Art
It will be appreciated that the principles and structure apply as well to strollers and baby carriages of any known or conventional kind, and to those that may have other innovative features which do not conflict with or involve the structure of this invention.
It has been known to provide baby amusement lights on carriages and to provide reflectors on carriages. It has also been known to provide reflectors and warning lights on various devices such as skate boards. It has been known to provide vacuum cleaners and the like with lamps. To the knowledge of the inventor, it has not been known to provide guidance illumination to baby carriages, that is, illumination means to illuminate the path immediately before the moving baby carriage. To the knowledge of the inventor, it has not been known to provide electric lights as side or rear lights on baby carriages. To the knowledge of the inventor, it has not been known to provide electric illumination of the interior of the carriage; that is, of the baby.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,216 discloses a baby carriage with a light and sound device clamped to the side of the carriage and intended to amuse the baby. No guidance light is or can be provided by this device.
Patent D393,087 discloses the ornamental design of a decorative set of lights on roller blades.
Patent D407511 provides what amounts to a square flashlight and separate switch which is titled to indicate that it is for a baby carriage, but which discloses no connection with such a carriage.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,677,790 discloses a light reflecting device and shows it clipped to many different items, including shoes, socks, dog leashes, carriages, wristlets and sleeves. The reflector is not powered; it is passive and can give no guidance illumination.
Though some of the prior patents cited above relate to devices other than baby carriages or strollers, it is believed that such expedients are not in the field of art of the present invention nor do they suggest the present invention by their disclosures.
In this patent, the terms xe2x80x9cbaby carriagexe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9ccarriagexe2x80x9d include all such carriages as has been stated above, and also includes devices generally called xe2x80x9cstrollersxe2x80x9d, and such devices which may be foldable and may be convertible between carriage and stroller. In this patent, the terms xe2x80x9clampxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9clightxe2x80x9d may be used interchangeably and the terms xe2x80x9ccarriagexe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cbaby carriagexe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cstrollerxe2x80x9d may be used interchangeably.
Parents and others push baby carriages on walks on sidewalks and streets. At times, these strolls or walks may be in conditions of diminished visibility, as at dusk, or night, or in rainy or otherwise inclement weather. Quite apart from the question of enhancing visibility of the carriage to others (which is nevertheless is an aspect of this invention), a most important and critical aspect is throwing a field of light ahead of the carriage. Breaks, cracks, potholes, curbs and other discontinuities may produce serious and undesired effects on the movement of the carriage, particularly for example, where a small infant is involved, possibly asleep or with a bottle. Thus, the local headlight effect of this invention is critical. The electrical system is built into the structure of the carriage. This integration permits the addition of side and rear warning lights. It also permits the addition of what may be described as an interior light, that is, a lamp to illuminate the interior of the carriage, and thus the face or body of the child. Such interior illumination may be important to aid in checking on the baby under adverse ambient lighting conditions. The headlamp aspect and the interior lighting aspect may be independently switch controlled. The system may preferably be powered by replaceable or rechargeable batteries.
Since baby carriages are typically used more in sunshine than in dark conditions, it is a variant of this invention to provide recharging of batteries by small solar panels on the carriage, with possible supplemental conventional recharging.